A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Remarks on Pāṇini's grammar
Authors: Itkonen, Esa
Publisher: Pergamon Press
Publication year: 2024
Journal: Language Sciences
Journal name in source: Language Sciences
Article number: 101661
Volume: 106
ISSN: 0388-0001
eISSN: 1873-5746
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langsci.2024.101661
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langsci.2024.101661
Abstract
First, Pāṇini's grammar the Aṣṭādhyāyī (= ‘Eight Chapters’) is introduced to the reader with the aid of a few representative quotations. After a brief overall characterization of the grammar, its last rule (= “a a”), known to be the shortest grammatical rule in the world, is shown to convey the following message: “Now that the descriptive work is done, language is given back to its speakers.” In philosophy of logic Gentzen's natural deduction is generally preferred over Frege's and Russell's axiomatic approach, but Pāṇini is shown to offer a partial caveat. Finally, his unique role in the annals of scientific thought is justified by the fact that he is both the oldest and the best in his own field.
First, Pāṇini's grammar the Aṣṭādhyāyī (= ‘Eight Chapters’) is introduced to the reader with the aid of a few representative quotations. After a brief overall characterization of the grammar, its last rule (= “a a”), known to be the shortest grammatical rule in the world, is shown to convey the following message: “Now that the descriptive work is done, language is given back to its speakers.” In philosophy of logic Gentzen's natural deduction is generally preferred over Frege's and Russell's axiomatic approach, but Pāṇini is shown to offer a partial caveat. Finally, his unique role in the annals of scientific thought is justified by the fact that he is both the oldest and the best in his own field.
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